• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Kogi government directs schools to reopen Monday

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Kogi State Government has reaffirmed that all public and private schools in the state are to resume academic activities on January 18, 2021, and called on all relevant stakeholders to comply.

Wemi Jones, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, made the announcement during a press briefing on Thursday in his office in Lokoja.

The Commissioner pointed out that all schools in the state should resume on January 18, 2021, to continue the first term 2020/2021 academic session.

“The resumption date for all schools in Kogi State remains January 18, 2021. This applies to both public and private primary and secondary, and tertiary institution of learning in the state”, he said.

Jones equally noted that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, had done a revised school academic calendar to accommodate and cover up for the two weeks’ break extension, due to lockdown prompted by the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

He emphasised that schools in Kogi were initially scheduled to resume on January 4, 2021, for continuation of first term, but was extended by two weeks due to the general hardship in the country as a result of the second wave of Covid-19 lockdown,as advised by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, adding that Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi State, had directed the ministry to comply with the two weeks break extension in the state as advised by the PTF.

“The governor, thereafter, clearly stated that the state would not jeopardize the education of our children by extending school resumption beyond January 18, 2021”, Jones said.

He equally called on all boards and agencies under the Kogi State MOEST, and all relevant stakeholders to take note of the development and act accordingly, stressing that the ministry would monitor school resumption as usual, saying all heads of schools should comply strictly with the directive.

The commissioner also warned that anything contrary to the directive would attract sanctions from any erring school, adding that the continuation of the First Term 2020/2021 Academic session would begin on 18th January 18 to March 5, 2021.

He added that the 2nd Term 2020/2021 academic session would commence on 15th March 15 to May 28, 2021 (10 weeks), while the 3rd Term would begin on June 7 to August 20, 2021 (11 weeks), adding that the 2021/2022 Academic Calendar would commence on 20th September 20, 2021.

“If we are able to achieve these, our losses in terms of time wasted during the lockdown period would be very negligible. This modified calendar has taken care of all national public holidays, and we have taken them into consideration. So, every institution is advised to adhere strictly to it”.

Jones pointed that the school had had enough break, and hence there would be no mid-term holidays during all the sessions, adding that secondary schools would close at 4pm and primary schools 2pm daily from Monday to Thursday, while schools would close on Friday at 1pm so as to consider the Muslim brothers for their Juma’at prayer.

He re-emphasised the need for teachers, students and parents to take note, observe and strictly adhere to all the Covid-19 protocols as stated by the PTF.

“We are very hopeful that we would not suffer any death on account of Covid-19 in our schools; our state has remained Covid-19 free”, he said.